Greater Manchester Colleges Secure HTQ Status

A group of Greater Manchester colleges have gained Higher Technical Qualification status, offering students exciting new digital courses from September 2022.

Developed in collaboration with employers such as Cisco, Fujitsu, Nationwide and Siemens, the BTEC Higher National Diploma in Computing has been created in an effort to plug the digital skills gap in the region and nationally.

The brand new, cutting edge qualification has been approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and offers adult learners new routes to rewarding careers and the opportunity to develop work-ready digital skills whilst completing a qualification.

The course supports students to train for skilled, practical employment in the digital sector through stimulating workshops and a diverse curriculum to ensure they develop the future proof skills required by employers.

The exciting qualification delivers learning on Artificial Intelligence, Web Development, Cloud Computing and Games Development with the use of VR technologies alongside a range of the latest high tech equipment including walking robots, a six-legged spider robot, robotic arms and 3D AI software.

Lisa O’Loughlin as Chair of Greater Manchester Colleges Group (GMCG) explains,

“We’re thrilled to offer students across our region access to the highest quality, innovative courses such as the BTEC Higher National Diploma in Computing. Studying for a HTQ at one of our Further Education colleges provides a unique and unrivalled experience for all students as we deliver expert teaching alongside industry leading facilities.”

Manchester Digital, the leading trade body for the tech and digital industry across Greater Manchester, was commissioned to support the design and development through a series of business engagement activities, including sessions with tech leaders to talk through the types of skills and future skills the industry requires.

Katie Gallagher, managing director of Manchester Digital, said:

“We’re pleased to be working closely with the Greater Manchester Colleges Group in providing valuable insights from the tech and digital industry to ensure that the new HTQs are creating a valid and valuable pathway into the industry and bringing much-needed skills into areas of high demand.”

All nine Further Education colleges in Greater Manchester are part of the Greater Manchester Colleges Group including Bolton College, Bury College, Hopwood Hall College, Oldham College, Tameside College, The Manchester College, Trafford College Group, Salford City College Group and Wigan & Leigh College.

GMCG represents the colleges, collectively delivering learning to 70,000 students, supporting them to meet the needs of the employers and the GM workforce, current and future, in key growth and employment sectors with training at all levels and ages from entry to postgraduate. For more information on GMCG please visit www.gmcg.ac.uk